2022 Domaine Joseph Mellot La Chatellenie Sancerre 750 ml

The Mellot name is practically synonymous with Sancerre. The family has been making wine in the region since 1513, and they were elevated to a position of honor when Louis XIV appointed César Mellot as the royal wine advisor in 1698.

That kind of endorsement does wonders for building a family empire—and now Domaines Joseph Mellot boasts the kind of vineyard holdings most Sancerre estates can only dream of.

Their La Chatellenie is one of their signature bottlings: A wine of precision minerality and elegant freshness grown on a selection of limestone- and flint-soiled vineyards. In the beautifully easy 2022 vintage, it’s a star that shines alongside prestige bottles from the region. 

In a sea of anonymous Sancerre, it’s usually essential to have boots on the ground to unearth the best bottles. But once a golden while, a trusted palate calls you up and shines a light on a wine—which was the case for Domaines Joseph Mellot’s La Chatellenie.

Although the family has a long history, the wines have had spotty distribution in the US over the decades. But our friends at Maison Albert Bichot—the same house that makes some of our members’ absolute favorite white Burgundies—were so impressed with what Mellot is doing that they decided to import the Sancerre star into the US. Because of our relationship with Bichot, we got the first call. 

The timing was impeccable: The sun shined bright on the Loire in the 2022 vintage, yielding an early harvest of perfectly ripe grapes. The warmer growing season seems to especially suit this bottle, endowing the La Chatellenie with a touch of extra richness and texture—though it doesn’t sacrifice an ounce of verve.